Blind Eye Turned To Connection With Vladimir Putin as Nikita Mazepin Wins Major Court Battle: “Will Do My Best To Make Up…”

Published 03/03/2023, 12:21 PM EST

When you think about a driver looking back their racing career, Formula 1 would most definitely be the icing on top of the cake, if they were lucky enough to even get there. But for Haas reject Nikita Mazepin, it was surely a nightmare he’d want to forget as soon as possible. The 24-year-old was given his big break when he was signed up by the Banbury-based outfit on the back of the team securing a big sponsorship deal with Mazepin’s father in 2021. But his F1 career got off to the worst start possible with off-track antics and a debut GP that lasted less than 3 corners. From there on, it was all downhill.

Earlier in 2022, the Russian driver was all set to go into his second full-time season in the sport when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused a huge hue-and-cry globally. Haas decided to terminate the sponsorship agreement with the Mazepins in light of their connections to tainted Russian supremo Vladimir Putin, and as such Mazepin was shown the exit doors. Later, he was banned to travel into Europe by the European Union. However, as this ban was recently lifted by the EU General Court, Mazepin has issued a statement of intent to make amends with the sport that chewed him up and spat him out.

Mazepin has still kept himself in competition trim with a foray into the Asian Le Mans series with relative success. That being said, according to the Russian, his main aim and focus is to return back to Formula 1. Express UK quoted him as saying to AFP, “I will do my best to make up for lost time and look forward to re-join the sport that I love, to which I have dedicated my life.”

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Safe to say, Mazepin isn’t the most popular bloke in the F1 community. But can he make a return to F1?

Guenther Steiner firmly shuts the door to Nikita Mazepin return

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Well, you can never say never in a sport like Formula 1. But after the torrid relationship the duo shared, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that even if Mazepin can somehow crawl back into the sport, it won’t be with Haas.

During the first episode of the latest season of Netflix’s Drive to Survive series, Haas boss Guenther Steiner was pretty angsty in the aftermath of the whole Mazepin ordeal. He was heard saying, “I don’t need any of this. f**king hell. No more Russians. I’m done with Russians until I go from this planet.”

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WATCH THIS STORY: Charles Leclerc & Carlos Sainz Achieve Rare F1 Feat With Colossal Disney Lightyear Collaboration

Do you really think Nikita Mazepin will ever feature on the F1 grid again? If so, who could he be representing?

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Written by:

Anirban Aly Mandal is a Formula 1 Author at EssentiallySports. In his pursuit for a Bachelor's degree in Law from Symbiosis Law School, he has written multiple academic papers centered around the domain of motorsports. Not only that, but due to his love for F1, he aims to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world some day.

Edited by:

Varunkumaar Chelladurai

Blind Eye Turned To Connection With Vladimir Putin as Nikita Mazepin Wins Major Court Battle: “Will Do My Best To Make Up…”

Guenther Steiner firmly shuts the door to Nikita Mazepin return

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